Ironing apparatus



Jan. 26, 1932.- c. s. HOUSTON 1'.842,784

IRONING APPARATUS Filed June 23; 1950 2 sheets-sheet 2 elm/ 53%555310 AM; A a/.4 ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 26, 1932 UNITED" STATES PATENT "OFFICE? CHECK S. HOUSTON, OF DETROIT, KICHIGAN,'ASSIGNOR '10 HOUSTON ELECTRIC I IRON Afi'D SPECIALTY COHFPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION mcmean Application med June as,

' vice, there being a thermostat in series with said magnet for preventing valve opening operation of the latter until and except when the temperature of the device is above a predetermined value.

A still further object is a control for steam ironing and pressing devices which prevents admission of steam to said device until the iron has reached a predetermined temperature, whereby condensation of steam caused by contact thereof with the cold iron is prevented, and whereby rusting of'the iron on the interior, clogging up the. steam exit holes in the latter is also prevented.

Still further objects will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon reference to the following description and the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1- shows an assembly of an embodi' ment of the invention.

Fig. 2 isa diagrammatic view thereof.

Fig. 3 showsa modification, and

Fig. 4 is a diagrammaticview of the form of Fig. 3.

As indicated on the drawings, and more particularly in Fig. 1, the ironing table is supplied withan upstanding post 11 upon which is secured the reducing valve 12 and the valve 13 for regulating the admission of "steam to the iron 14' thru the flexible steam pipe or hose 15. The valve 13 is supplied with a spindle member 16, extending outwardly and connected by means of a yoke 17 to the lever 18, pivoted at 19, which in turn is connected to the armature 20 of'the electro-magnet 21. The latter is electrically mounts arranarus 1930. Serial no. 468,0 79.

connected to the switch 22, which may be of a plunger or push button type and which may be. and preferably is mounted upon han-. dle 24 of the iron 14, the electric connections. including a two wire cable 25 whose supply is obtained from the line 26 thruothe connection boxes 27 and' 28 and a thermostat 31 is disposed upon. the iron adjacent the switch 22 and in electrical series therewith. There is also provided in the iron 14 a heater or coil, not shown, the latter being supplied with current in the usual manner'by theplug 33 whose supply is obtained from the cord 34 which is also connected to the cable 26. As illustrated, the hose 15 and the two wire cords 25 and 34 are bound together by clips 37 toform aflexible element which connects the iron 14 to the stationary part 27 so as to supply steam and electric current thereto. Further, if desired, the iron may be supplied with a metallic thermometer 39 which, as

shown, is located immediately below the handle thereof.

The operation of the device will be readily observed from the foregoing and from Fig.

'2 which shows the two wire line 26 and a main switch 40 interposed therein in the usual manner. Line 25 leads off from the line 26 and runs thru switch 22, thermostat 31 and the coil of the electro magnet 21, in

series, while asecond line 34 goes from the line 26 to .the iron. The armature 20 of the coil 21 is connected to the lever 18- pivoted at 19' and connected to the spindle 16 of the valve 13 in the steam line. 1 Itwill be observed that switch 22, when closed, will open the valve 13 and admit steam tothe iron, provided, howeveig'thatthe iron has been heated byits electric coil to such an extent that the bi-metalli'c thermostat 31 has closed. When the iron is cold, it is not desirable to supply steam theretofor the reason that hot steam, striking the cold surfaces of the iron condenses, causingfrusti'ng therein and causing clogging of the-minute apertures in the iron .base', and thermostat 31 operates in such a manner as to prevent such admission. The invention described aforesaid may also be embodied in an ironing device of the so-called pressing machine type illustrated in Fig. 3. In this device the handle 42, which is used by the operator to draw down the buck 43 towards the bed 44, is supplied with p avswitch 45 which is of the type shown at 22, Fig. 1, and which is connected in series with the magnet 21 for controlling the admission of steam to the pressing device. This construction operates in substantially the same way as does the one previously illustrated and need not be further described.

Now, having described the invention and the preferred embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that the said invention is to be limited, not to the specific details herein set forth and illustrated, but only by the scope of the claim which follows:

I claim In combination with an electrically heated ironing or pressing device having a steam supply line therefor and a valve in said line for regulating the flow of steam to said device, a control for said valve including, in electrical circuit, an electric magnet for: operating said valve, a switch adjacent said handle and in circuit with said magnet and a thermostat in circuit with said magnet for preventing valve opening operation of said magnet'when the switch is operated until the temperature of said ironing device has reached a predetermined value.

CHECK S. HOUSTON. 

